I don't consider these forums that public... I'm getting 10 interview requests a day because of this website because its the biggest website dealing with haunted houses. If someone called me about the naked haunted house I wouldn't want to discuss it. If someone called me to quote about how your haunted house burned to the ground I wouldn't say anything but positive stuff because it can have an impact on everyone. Going on national news and ripping on the idea is something I didn't do... I have no interest to discuss a naked haunted house I do however have an interest in promoting all the things I do promote about this industry.

I talk about vendors and how we are a export only industry, how our industry generates jobs, over a billion dollars, how we are better than movies, video games, how we are better than Halloween retail you name it... these are the things I talk about on a daily basis.

Read the interviews I've done all positive... I do everything to promote producers to do TV shows, articles, stories, and everything between. I'm 110% positive brother and one day when I'm gone someone will have to try and replace all that I do do... and it won't be easy. Many in this industry just have no idea what I've done for them from getting this tradeshow broken off the retail show, to starting a national PR program which now is a steamroller... I take action.

I don't sit around here and point fingers like 90% of everyone else... I make things happen. How did we get the PR machine rolling... one Halloween I read a zillion stories about sex offenders starting haunted houses and I said that was the last straw. Every story about haunts is negative... the national media needs to know about how great we are so I DID IT!

IF I LISTENED to all these naysayers none of this stuff gets done... I'm totally un-phased by people who do nothing but create drama.

Hauntworld is another thing that many people accused me of this or that now look at it... we provide more information and data about haunts than every other site combined. These are all great things.

On these forums I try my best to inspire discussion, thought, and debate to open your mind to new ways of thinking. You say groupon is great I say otherwise... we have two ways of thinking maybe we influence people to think it through.

Here is the bottom line folks... you have exactly 30-40 days to make enough money to re-open the following year, to pay your bills, to survive. We have very little margin for error... these discussion are good. Bottom line is no one from the media is readying this thread they don't have time for it news develops in a digital world quickly. They have to report and move onto something else quick... this forum is semi private because you can't view photos for example if you are not a member, you can't post if you are not a member, and its just one link on the site of 100's.

. How did we get the PR machine rolling... one Halloween I read a zillion stories about sex offenders starting haunted houses and I said that was the last straw. Every story about haunts is negative... the national media needs to know about how great we are so I DID IT!

Larry

Larry

I hate to say it but you did that and good for you for doing that. But when was the last time the media really had a push for haunted houses? Pat did just that...and by using the word NAKED & Afraid Haunted House....doesnt matter what haunted house it really is. But instead people get on here and start a thread....NAKED AND AFRAID HAUNTED HOUSE WHAT A FOOL....go ahead and google that....Ill wait here till you realize that the thread does come up on google...

Ultimately Pat got the media talking about Haunted Houses in general, creating a subconscious in peoples heads. From what I can tell its a great season and people are coming to websites and going to haunted houses....Is it because of Pat? Maybe/Maybe not. But his idea got people talking and brought haunted houses to the front of the mind. Maybe we shouldnt be so quick to bash an idea that gets everyone talking

There's a great bit of history that involves a journalist named Pauling Kael. After a presidential election she said that she couldn't understand how Nixon won because no one she knew voted for Nixon. Nixon won in a landslide.

Perhaps, Sam, your circle of friends needs some expanding?

So Jack, how's like at Shocktoberfest these days? Dance on top any party busses drunk lately? How's it like being president of a dead association no one cares about anymore for the 8th year in a row now? You can admit it "Jack" you're really Pat and you're trying to save face by defending this classless, unprofessional sinking ship of an idea that failed completely to sell your more tickets but hey, got you in the news and made the entire industry look bad in the process! Mission accomplished. But hey, there are always a few bottom feeders who thought it was a great and positive thing and got you on TV and sadly some are actually haunters, sadly enough.

Every single haunt owner I've spoken to over the last week or two, every email I got said pretty much the same thing... it was a repulsive idea and mos important if he is suppose to be a president of an association its shows even more lack of judgement. His facebook friends bashed the idea the media as a whole bashed the idea, and as he admitted the city officials didn't like it either...

The point Tater is doing something like this can hurt your business because of the negative limelight it creates ... this did nothing positive for the haunt industry sorry I totally disagree. As for talking about haunted houses this is already happening like gangbusters and its been happening the last 5 to 8 years. Travel Channel is already rolling out dozens of shows about haunted houses, and much more.

I don't want press that says I'm doing a namked haunt only for me to turn around and say oh no I'm not... I got a slap on the wrist from the town leaders. BACKLASH... as someone pointed out NO ONE EVER promoted Scocktoberfest they talked about a naked haunt.

This blew up in his face and as a President of an association even if it only has 3 or 4 members now (LOL) it shows a clear lack of judgement. Bottom line we can all agree to disagree, we can all make different points and in America no one agrees 110% on a government shut down, invading Iraq, what to do about health care or yes even a naked haunted house.

So maybe this topic is beat into the graveyard. No matter I make bad decisions as well many I wish I can take back, and I'm glad and proud that many of us can disagree on this issue and many others. When you follow these threads it makes you consider all the angles... I've changed my view many times from reading everyones comments. So I think the discussion is a success despite a couple guys turning it into a personal attack thread. Do I think Pats a fool as the title states... yes I do! He's been doing this long enough he should have thought it thru a bit better... he didn't but just like the title of this thread, just like the topic of a naked haunt it got people to read it, think about it and discuss it. The next big gimmick could be around the corner and I'm sure that will be beaten into the ground on the same level as this one. We've seen it before we'll see it again.

no one here has disputed that larry has done great positive things to help this industry..

i will defend u on that anytime...and i will show appreciation to anyone that helps send people to haunted houses...but again my point is simple

why hate ? a good discussion doesn't involve character attacks....so we git it..u and darky hate the man....i know u agree 110% and i for one appreciate you editing your very sad idiot comment...but

thinks it hurt haunts....when the fact is plain as the hand on your face....if u truly appreciate discussion why do this ??? dont turn this into pat this is your place sir..u control the masses and the info they receive here..

in order to see the orchestra ...you must turn your back on the crowd...

Your haunt lives on the edge so I can fully understand how you appreciate someone doing something risky... and risky it was. I'm betting the city came to him and said no naked haunt or no haunt period. The PR was not positive it was negative and for someone running an association shouldn't be doing things so distasteful. I'm not slamming him I'm offering my opinion as you have on the topic. Again as I've said already some of us will have to agree to disagree. I feel this discussion was very helpful for future haunters thinking of doing wild ideas... if you are one of the people who think wow this was great someone might do something even more outlandish where will it end.

Folks no matter how you want to spin this ... this backfired. It did not promote his haunt it promoted the concept of a naked haunt, and in the end his community rejected it, his city officials as I predicted rejected it, and when it was all said and done the naked haunt was closed. I believe and I'm pretty sure I'm right here... people said they won't visit this haunt because they don't want to walk through naked misunderstanding what was going on because you can't really control PR btw, some just 110% appalled by the idea probably said we'll go elsewhere to a haunt where people aren't running around naked, and the people who had a curiosity aren't coming because there is no naked haunt anymore, in some ways that can be perceived as that haunt closed.

This isn't bashing its pointing out facts... and I hope haunters can learn from this mistake. I'm just glad I didn't make this mistake and we move past it.

Larry, my comment had you as one, but not all, of an expanding but limited group that are, and have been doing stuff, and changing directions on issues in haunting.

Yes, you started the thread about a concept. It has been lively. There have been statements made by you and others that were attacks, rather than discussion about the issue or argument. You can't deny that you delete and rewrite posts.

You would be better to continue to try to stay on discussion than to go off the deep end like you used to and is pretty infrequent now. We all learn with age and money spent, right?

Discussion is good. The groupon thread a while back was good.

There isn't much left to invent in haunting, just new ways to present it.